Life in Exile
by Saij Emrys
Summary: A short story of what Thrawn's life was probably like during his exile. Third post is the charm!


A/N: This is a short story with absolutely no plot line. I am merely trying to convey what I felt would be an average day in the life of Thrawn during his exile. I want to show that he is not always being a hot shot military commander. I am giving him a more "human" side in this story. So just sit back, read, and enjoy! Oh, and please tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own star wars, nor do I make any profit from this story. All the credit goes to George Lucas.

He was running as fast as he could, but he could still feel the animal's breath on the back of his neck. Dodging trees and crashing through underbrush, he forced his legs to move faster, ignoring the trembling exhaustion in his muscles. He came to the steep bank of the river and, not slowing, slid down it cutting his legs on the thorny bushes in the process. Reaching the water's edge, he turned back to see the giant cat coming over the edge of the bank directly behind him. Wading into the water, he struck out towards the opposite bank. He knew this creature well enough to know it would not follow him into the river. He pulled himself through the deep water and dragged himself out when he reached the shore and flopped down into the dirt, panting hard. Raising his eyes, he watched the disappointed cat pacing near the water's edge. Giving an angry growl, the cat leaped back over the bank and loped off once again into the woods.

Mitth'raw'nuroudo heaved a sigh of relief at having gotten away from the giant predator. He had been out checking his traps when he had stumbled upon the cat. Being aggressively territorial, the animal had given chase, forcing the young chiss to run for his life. It was not his first encounter with the giant predator of the forest, and he doubted it would be his last. Groaning slightly, Mitth'raw'nuroudo picked himself up and reached into the pouch that hung at his side. Made of skins, he used the handmade pouches to put the small animals from his traps in, as well as for gathering vegetation and berries. Feeling the small mammalian creature still tucked safely inside, he began the four mile hike back to the small clearing that contained his hut, and the place he had learned to call home.

Walking more briskly due to the adrenaline still pulsing through his veins, he reflected on the monotony of his life. He had once been a commander in the chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. Now here he was going through the dreary, mundane process of just surviving. He smiled grimly at the thought that it had been nearly three years since his exile, though he could still feel the bitter sting of his sentence as if it had just been decreed yesterday. He had been a brilliant tactician and had been doing nothing more than trying to protect his people. And he had been punished for it. Still, he refused to be bitter about his situation. He _would_ find a way to keep protecting his people and home world, and he certainly did not need their permission to do so. Forcing the negative thoughts from his mind, he slowed a bit to just enjoy the view of the massive trees of the forest. Tilting his head back, Mitth'raw'nuroudo eyed the jade green leafy canopy that stretched spectacularly overhead. Where the sun shone through the leaves, floating particles and falling flower petals from the tree canopies could be seen. The warmth from the planets sun hit his bare back and shoulders, relaxing him slightly as he walked. All of this in combination with the gentle singing and chirping of birds forced from his mind the tension of having run for his life and boosted his spirits greatly. He had always been one to enjoy the beauty of nature.

He reached his small meadow and, skirting around a log, entered the clearing. He went straight to the wooden door of the small dwelling and pushed it open. He was proud of the small cabin like structure he had built. It had not been easy felling the trees by himself to make the walls. Nor had building been easy. It had required of him a great amount of energy to cut and stack the logs into the shape of the cabin. Then he had had to pack the cracks with mud and sand and then smooth it to form his walls. The roof too had required a lot of work, but in the end he had stood back and admired his handiwork. Entering his home, he dug around for the small skinning knife he owned. Books, tools and spare power packs littered the various tables and shelves. Finding the knife atop a can of batteries, he headed back outside. He pulled the small animal from his pouch and placed it on a table kept near the door. He then skinned and gutted the animal with practiced expertise. Back inside, he placed it to cook over the flames in the fireplace. Placing a pot under it to catch the juices that could be used as broth, he crossed the room to his bed and sat down on the edge. Putting his face in his hands, he sighed deeply before taking a book down from the shelf over his bed. Reading was one of the few luxuries left to him and he usually reserved the activity for the evenings. Mitth'raw'nuroudo stretched out atop the covers and opened the book. He owned maybe seventy actual books. The rest of his library was stored in data disks that had been downloaded from the chiss library on Csilla. His collection included everything from ancient chiss history, astronomy, medical practices, to philosophy and botany. The book currently in his hands was a novel he particularly enjoyed. It was the story of a young alien from a far flung planet who left his world to travel the universe in search of true enlightment and reasons for existence and suffering. Mitth'raw'nuroudo loved anything that stirred his passions and this novel was one of those things.

He read for a while, then stretching, went over to the fireplace to retrieve his meal. Pulling the blistering hot meat from the stick it had been cooking on, he collected the broth and gathered a handful of nuts and a cup of water and began to eat. He sat in the open doorway and watched the tall grasses sway lazily in the evening breeze. Finished with his meal he stood up, and then decided to go for a small walk. He went round the back of the house and crossed the clearing to a small opening in the trees. He liked to walk in the evenings. He didn't like to be confined to the small quarters of his home. He followed the familiar route through the trees to a small ridge that rose up into the foothills of mountains that lined the continents mid latitude. He started up the steep slope, using smaller trees for handholds.

Half an hour later he crested the ridge and stared up at a near vertical wall of rock that rose nearly one hundred twenty feet into the air. Taking a deep breath Mitth'raw'nuroudo began to climb. Wearing nothing but a pair of torn trousers that had been converted to shorts, he was able to move and bend freely to grab onto the rock and propel himself upward. Reaching the top, he lifted himself over the edge of the cliff and came to rest on a small plateau. He bent down and removed his moccasins, then tread lightly over the soft, cool grass barefooted. He scrambled to the top of a boulder, then sat and looked about him. From his vantage point he could make out other steep cliffs and plateaus. Some rose very high and he could see spectacular waterfalls coming off of them. Further in the distance he could make out the high snow capped mountains. A warm wind blew gently through his hair, pushing it forward into his face. He fingered the strands and wondered idly how his hair got to be so long. "_Probably because it has not been cut in three years," _he mused sarcastically to himself. His hair now reached nearly his mid back, but it just didn't seem important to trim it. He pushed it back lazily. The sun was very nearly set and he turned his gaze upwards toward the heavens. The stars were now visible. Mitth'raw'nuroudo felt an aching in his chest. Somewhere out there was his true home and family. Normally he kept all emotion from showing on his face, but now his eyes expressed his true loneliness and pain. He would have given his very soul at that moment to once again be among his people. _"I swear I will get off this planet to once again be among those stars. And when I do, I swear to do everything in my power to protect the chiss from all the dangers that those stars may present." _He made this vow to himself as he looked up at all the suns burning so far away. He thought the stars were the most beautiful things in existence. Around them were planets that held such a wild array of peoples. Each with their own unique intelligence and art and culture, and each which could present a threat to the territories of the chiss. But Mitth'raw'nuroudo was not one to see only danger. He saw the beauty in the variety of life in the universe. One of the things he missed most of his previous life was travelling among those stars and witnessing the life contained around them. He was ever curious about other species ways of life, their art, and their way of thinking. He heaved a sigh as he continued to stare at the stars. He had no doubts that he would once again travel to those distant worlds, he just had to be patient. So in the meantime he would continue to gaze at the stars. Gaze and wait.

**End**


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